The present invention pertains to a control system for a motor vehicle, and, more particularly, to using transmission shift modulation to alert a driver of the vehicle for a potential driving hazard.
Modern vehicles often include hazard warning and driver assist systems that alert drivers of potential driving hazards, with some systems actually intervening in the operation of the vehicles to avoid those hazards. There are a variety of such systems including, for example, adaptive cruise control systems, blind spot detection and warning systems, city safety systems, collision mitigation by braking systems, forward collision warning systems and rear collision warning systems. These systems use forward, side and rear sensors to determine potential driving hazards, either warning the driver or intervening, such as by applying the vehicle's brakes, to avoid the driving hazard. The forward sensors generally provide environmental information such as traffic conditions and road conditions (e.g., road curvature) in front of the vehicle, while the side sensors measure environmental information to the side of the vehicle such as whether a second vehicle is in the driver's blind spot. The rear sensors are typically used for reverse driving to detect obstacles or potential rear-end collisions from another vehicle.
These systems use audio or visual cues based on the detection of a potential hazard to warn the driver. Unfortunately, because of a proliferation of such cues, along with other driver distractions, they do not always catch the driver's prompt attention. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide another cue or warning that effectively attracts the driver's attention and does not require the driver to look away from the road.